Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has urged the club to do everything possible to keep hold of Van de Ven, describing him as “the next Gareth Bale” and a potential £100 million player. Speaking on Sky Sports, O’Hara said: “I genuinely think he could be Gareth Bale. I’ve played with Bale when he was a left-back and you could see his athleticism, his pace — what he became in the end was unbelievable. Van de Ven has that same ability. He’s almost wasted as a centre half when you have that type of power and drive.”
O’Hara continued: “He can finish, he’s good in the air, and he’s fearless on the ball. I genuinely believe that in the future, you might look at him and say, could he play somewhere else? Could he be a 6ft 4 left winger who gets to the byline and whips crosses in? No one can keep up with him. He’s got the potential to be that sort of player.”
The former Spurs man also insisted that the club must reward him financially to fend off any transfer interest. “I’d love to keep hold of Van de Ven and we should do everything we can, pay him whatever he wants. He’s worth £200,000 a week, easily. He’s someone that will end up at Real Madrid if we’re not careful. Tottenham have to make him the face of the club’s future — he’s that good.”